Police investigating phony payroll checks

Lincolnton Police are investigating a group of people who cashed three counterfeit checks at a local business this month.
The checks were created to look like payroll checks from Bowen Construction Corporation, according to reports.
The three checks, made out for $386, $387 and $389, were cashed at T&T Investments, 112 Colonial Village Drive on Sept. 15. The crime was reported Tuesday, when the checks were returned to T&T.
Three different peopleâ€™s names appeared on the checks, police Chief Dean Abernathy said.
Abernathy said business owners and employees should pay close attention to checks before cashing them, being on the lookout for information that doesnâ€™t add up.
On these three checks, the company and bank were both fictitious. The zip code for Lincolnton was incorrect. And the routing numbers were fuzzy and jumbled.
Abernathy said the passing of counterfeit checks continues to be an issue in Lincolnton.
â€œItâ€™s always been a big problem,â€ he said.
Abernathy said the counterfeiters are probably part of a larger group not from this area. He pointed to the incorrect zip code an example of the lack of knowledge of the area. The suspects likely travel to different areas passing the fake checks.
â€œTheyâ€™ll do it all over the state,â€ he said.
Anyone with information on this incident or others should call the police department at 704-736-8900.by Alice Smith